SICB Division of Vertebrate Morphology (DVM)

DVM Researchers Database Entry

People in my lab pursue a wide variety of projects that usually sit on the interface between morphology, biomechanics and engineering. Though there is no one critter or even taxon that defines the lab a great many projects have involved cartilaginous fishes. One simple question has produced a number of interesting projects and papers: how is it that cartilaginous fishes do all the same things that bony fishes do, but with a skeleton made of a very different material. We use techniques that measure whole animal performance, visualize skeletal and visceral systems in three dimensions, build models (both physical and mathematical), and test materials. My lab is a the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Laboratories and includes extensive flow through sea water facilities, SEM, TEM, micro CT, rapid prototyping, high speed video and electromyography. I accept PhD students through both the biology department and the school of fisheries.